Bullying and Harassment
The University of Liverpool is committed to providing a positive, professional and safe environment in which work is carried out against a background of respect for the experiences, abilities and skills of all individuals. In striving towards the achievement of such an environment, the University will not tolerate any form of bullying and harassment
What is Bullying ?
Bullying is offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour involving the misuse of power. It can make you feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, threatened or undermined. Bullying can happen to anyone at any time in your life but you may feel ashamed to talk about it if you think that this as something that only happens to children. It is important to remember that we are all potential targets of bullying and we need to ensure that a message is sent that this is unacceptable at any time.
What is Harassment ?
Harassment is unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct which may (intentionally or unintentionally) violate a person’s dignity or which creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. Harassment is behaviour which can cause you distress or alarm. You can be harassed by a stranger or by someone you know.
Unlawful harassment can be related to a protected characteristic such as age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, nationality or citizenship, religious belief, sex or sexual orientation. At the University of Liverpool we believe any harassment is unacceptable, even if it does not fall within any of these categories.
Examples of bullying and harassment behaviour can include:
- Unwanted physical contact including brushing up or touching another person without their consent, pushing, standing so close to someone that they feel uncomfortable, following someone, repeatedly staring and more extreme forms of physical or sexual assault
- Spreading rumours and gossip
- Offensive or intimidating remarks, innuendo or insensitive jokes and humour
- Racist, sexist, homophobic or ageist jokes or derogatory or stereotypical remarks about a particular ethnic or religious group or gender
- Making malicious threats, complaints and false allegations
- Humiliating someone in front of others
- Ignoring someone for example by deliberately excluding them from conversations, meetings or a social activity
- Abuse of power by those in positions of seniority
- Threatening or abusive comments made by email, social media and/or through on-line forums
- Distribution and circulation of offensive, sensitive or threatening photographs, information and publications
- Publication of untrue statements (defamation)
- Outing or threatening to out someone as gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans
- Mocking, mimicking or belittling a person’s disability
- Unwelcome advances, and unwanted comments on appearance
- Intrusive questioning about a person’s marital status, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, religion, culture or disability
- Intrusion by pestering or unwanted telephone calls, emails or texts at home or at work